Air-propeller.



T. FRANCISCO. AIR PRQPELLER. APPLICATION nuzn MAR. 21-. um.

Patented Oct. 9,1917.

4 SHEETSSHEET I T. FRANCISCO.

AIR PROPELLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, I917.

1,242,788. Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- T. FRANCISCO- AIR PROPELLER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. 1917.

Patented 0015. 9, 1917 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 0 O O 4 4 o w 3 0 7. 2 6 Z 4 Z 0 a /w W 0 O n W 0 Eat/c5800;

' T. FRANCISCO.

AIR PROPELLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. 1917.

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Pafented Oct. 9, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

TONY FnAivcIsco, or SOUTH OLE ELUM, wAsnme'ron.

AIR-PROPELLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 9, 11.91 7.

Application filed March 21, 1917. Serial No. 156,335.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TONY FRANCISCO, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Cle Elum, in the county of Kittitas and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Propellers; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to an air propeller for sleds, ice boats and various other purposes.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, practical and efficient air propeller of strong, durable and comparatively inexpensive construction adapted to be'i-nstalled as a unit on ice boats, sleds and various other devices and equipped with a plurality of adjustable propellers and provided with means for changing the angularity of the blades for controlling the speed of the sled, air ship or other device to which the air propeller is ap i'ed, and capable also of enabling the pr pellers to operate as a brake for retarding he forward movement of the sled or ice boat when the same is descending an incline, or it is designed to check the speed and stop the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide an air propeller of this character adapted to enable one or more propellers to be used and to be adjusted simultaneously and also to be readily operated to rotate them in opposite directions or in the same direction.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may 'be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. v v In the drawings-: I Figure l is a sideelevation of an air propeller constructed in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2 is a-horizontal sectional View of the same. I

Fig. 3' is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the front and rear propellers.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the front portion of the mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3. v

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view on the line 77 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a similar View on the line 88 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views of the lever frames.

Fig. 11 is a detail view-of the operating lever.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment ofv the invention, the air' propeller comprises in its construction a pair of propellers ar ranged one in advance of the other and de signed to be simultaneously rotated in opposite directions in order to afford the rear propeller greater action onlthe air, but the propellers may be rotated in the same direction and only one propeller need be employed when it is not required to have the speed and power developed by a pair of propellers. in its construction a central head or hub casing 1 designed-to be constructed of suit-,

able metal and preferably made sectional,

as shown, it being illustrated in the accompanying drawings as consisting of a pair' of front sections 2 and a tapered rear sec- The rear propeller comprises tion 3. .The front sections form a rectangular body portion to the hub or headcasing and each side of the rectangular portion of such casing is provided with bearing openings for the reception of propeller cranks 4 and 5 arranged-in pairs, the members of each pair being disposed diametrically opposite each other and having their cranks reversely arranged and connected with a pivotally mounted lever frame 6 at opposite sides of the pivots 7 thereof, which are mounted in the hub or head casing at opposite sides of-the same in suitable bearing openings. The propellers may be made of any desired size and the propeller cranks are provided with suitable bearings or bearing portions and are maintained against relative longitudinal movement and are provided with attaching portions 8 located exteriorly of the hub or head casing and secured to the inner portions of the propeller blades 9, which are secured at their outer ends to caps or attaching portions 11 of journals 12, which are mounted in bearing openings of a hoop or ring 13, and suitably secured to the same so that the blades of the propeller will be mounted at their inner and outer ends and will prevent breakage of the parts in event of the breaking of the propeller blades at the center or any point between their ends. The propeller blades are detachably secured to the said attaching portions of the cranks and the outerjournals and may be readily removed, renewed or repaired as required. The casing 14: of the front propeller is truncated at the back and the front propeller is the one designed to be eliminated when it is desired to employ only a single propeller.

Thelever frame 6 of. the rear propeller is oblong and composed of spaced sides and connecting ends 15 constituting pivots and connected by links 16 with two of the oppositely or reversely arranged cranks. of the rear propeller. The journals 7, which eX- tend from the centers of the sides ofthe lever frame, are provided with reversely arranged cranks 17 having their terminal portions in the planes of the end pivots of the lever frame and connected by links.18 with the other set of cranks 5 of the propeller blades. By this construction and arrangement the four blades of the rear propeller are adjusted simultaneously to change their angularity when thelever frame is adjusted. The lever frame of the rear propeller is connected by a link 19 with an inner centrally arranged operating or shifting rod 20 and it is provided at one of its terminal portions with a transverse pivot 21 to receive the rear end of the link 19. The lever frame 22 of the front propeller is constructed substantially the same as the lever frame of the rear propeller with the exception that the sides of the front propeller frame are provided with spaced ears 23, which are connected by a pair of links-24 with side shifting rods 25. The inner centrally arranged shifting rod and the outer side shifting rods are simultaneously operated, by the means hereinafter described, to correspondingly adjust the propeller blades and set the same at the desired angle. The propeller blades may be constructed of any suitable material andmay be of any preferred form, four blades bein'g preferably provided for each of the propellers so as to reduce the speed necessary to develop a given amount of power, as a lower speed will be required than when the propeller is equipped with only two blades. A pair of blades may, however, be employed as the change falls re iares within the purview of the present inven tion.

The hub casing, the propeller blades and the hoops or rings rotate r a unit and the rear hub or head casing 1 is keyed to a central longitudinal shaft 26 having a central bore or opening for the passage of the shifting rod 20 and arranged within an outer tubular shaft 27, which is keyed at its rear end to the hub or head casing 14: of the front propeller. Front and rear bearings 28 and 29 are provided for the inner and outer longitudinal shafts. The front bearing 28, which is located at the front end of the inner longitudinal shaft, comprises an inner rotary bearing sleeve 30 and an outer sectional bearing box provided with interiorly arranged annular grooves 31 for the reception of correspondingly arranged annular ribs 32 formed on the exterior of the bearing sleeve 30 and interlocking the inner shaft is held against longitudinal movement and is permitted free rotary movement. The bearing sleeve 30 is suitably secured to the front end of the inner longitudinal shaft and the outer sectional boxing or casing is mounted in a fixed position upon a supporting frame 3?. The inner longitudinal shaft is also equipped with a sprocket wheel 34 preferably of a sectional construction and mounted on the rear portion of the bearing sleeve 30, but it may be applied to theinner longitudinal shaft in any other desired 'manner. The rear bearing, which is constructed substantially the same as the front bearing, is composed of an outer sectional box or casin and an inner bearing sleeve 35 for the s aft 26 provided with ribs 36, which fit in corresponding grooves 37 similar to the ribs and grooves of the frontbearing. The outer longitudinal shaft is also equipped with a sectional sprocket wheel 38, which is preferably mounted on the shaft 27., as shown, but it may be applied to the outer longitudinal shaft in any other desired manner as will be readily understood. The sprocket gears are designed to be connected with suitable driving mechanism, which may be of any desired manner and which may be arranged for rotating the gears in reverse directions, but the blades and the gears may provided with ribs 41, which fit in grooves 42 of a slidable sleeve 43. The slidable sleeve 43 is interlocked with the rotary sleeve 41 by the grooves and the ribs which are of annular formation and which may be of any desired number, and the said sliding sleeve is held against rotary movement by a slide 44 mounted in a guide 45 of a base plate 46 suitably secured to the frame of the machine, but it may of course be mounted in any other desiredmanner.

The central or inner longitudinal shifting rod 20 is provided at its front end with a sleeve 47 suitably secured to the said rod 20 and provided with exterior annular ribs 48 fitting in grooves 49 of-a slidable sleeve 50 provided at the. bottom with a slide 51 arranged in a suitable guide 52 of a base plate 53 suitably mounted on the supporting frame. The sleeve 47 is adapted to rotate within the sliding sleeve and it is interlocked with the latter, which is adapted, when moved longitudinally, to slide the rotary sleeve 47 and the shifting rod 20 backwardly and forwardly.

The sliding sleeves 43 and 50 are provided at their tops with ears or lugs 54 and 55, and the rear one of the lugs 54 and 55 is connected with the lower end of a lever 56, which is fulcrui'ned at its upper end 57 on the frame and which depends from the top portion thereof. The lever 56 is connected at a point intermediate of its ends by a link 58 with an arm 59 of an actuating lever 60, and the said lever 60, which is fulcrumed at 61, is provided with an arm 62 extending in the opposite direction from the arm 59 and connected by a link 63 with the lug crew 55. The body portion of the lever depends from the pivot 61 and constitutes a stem or main arm, which is comiected by a rod 64 with an operating lever 65. The operating lever 65, which is fulcrumed at its lower end 66 on a suitable support 67, is provided with a spring actuated dog or-detent 68, which is connected with a latch lever 69 located adjacent to the handle portion of the operating lever 65. The spring actuated dog or detent, which may be of any desired construction, is arranged to engage a toothed plate or segment 70 for locking the operating lever in its adjustment. Any suitable means such as rock shaft connections or the like may be employed for connecting the operating lever with the lever 60 in order that the operating device may be arranged in any convenient position. In practice the air propeller will be equipped with a suitable indicating device for indicating the angle of the blades of the propellers.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described including a central support, diametrically disposed blades arranged in pairs and having reversely disposed crank elements, said blades being mounted for rotary movement on their longitudinal axis, and a lever frame mounted on the central support and pivoted at a point intermediate of its ends and connected at opposite sides of the pivotal point with the reversely arranged crank element for simultaneously adjusting the propeller blades.

2. A device of the class described including a centralsupport, diametrically disposed blades arranged in pairs and mounted for rotary movement on their longitudinal axis, said blades being provided with crank elemerits the crank elements of each pair being oppositely arranged, a lever frame pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends on the central support and connected at opposite sides of the center with one set of the blades and provided at opposite sides with reversely arranged crank arms connected with the crank elements of the other set of blades, and means for adjusting the lever frame.

3. A device of the class described including front and rear propellers having pivotally mounted propeller blades provided with crank elements, front-and rear lever frames mounted for rotary movement withthe front and rear propellers and connected with the blades thereof, a central shaft connected with the rear propeller and having a longitudinal bore or opening, a central shifting ried by the outer longitudinal shaft and connected with the front lever frame, and means connected with the said rods for adjusting the lever frames. i

4. A device of the class described includ ing front and rear propellers having pivotally mounted propeller blades provided with crank elements, front and rear lever frames mounted for rotary movement with the front and rear propellers and connected with the blades thereof, a central shaft connected with the rear propeller and having a longitudinal bore or opening, a central shifting rod mounted for reciprocation in the bore or opening of the longitudinal shaft and connected with'the'rear lever frame, an outer tubular shaft mounted on the inner longi tudinal shaft, side shifting rods carried by the outer longitudinal shaft and connected with the front lever frame, an operating deblades thereof, a central shaft connected. with the rear propeller and having a longitudinal bore or opening, a central shifting rod mounted for reciprocation in the bore or opening of the longitudinal shaft and connected with the rear lever frame, an outer tubular shaft mounted on the inner longitudinal shaft, side shifting rods carried by the outer longitudinal. shaft and connected with the front lever frame, rotary sleeves connected with the said rods and arranged at spaced points, slidable sleeves interlocked with the rotary sleeves, an actuating lever having arms connected with the sliding sleeves, and an operating lever connected with the actuating lever for simultaneously adjusting the lever frames.

6. A device of the class described including front and rear propellers havin pivotally mounted propeller blades provi ed with crank elements, front and rear lever frames mounted for rotary movement with the front and rear propellers and connected with the blades thereof, a central shaft connected with the rear propeller and having a longitudinal bore or opening, a central shifting rod mounted for reciprocation in the bore or opening of the longitudinal shaft and connected with the rear lever frame, an outer tubular. shaft mounted on the inner longitudinal shaft and connected with the front lever frame, sleeves rotating with the said inner and outer shafts and connected with the said rods and movable longitudinally, guides, slidable sleeves having slides -arranged inthe said guides, said slidable sleeves being interlocked with the rotary sleeves to permit rotary movement of the latter, and mechanism connected with the sliding sleeves for moving the same and the rotary sleeves longitudinally.

7. A. device of the class described including front and rear propellers having pivotally mounted propeller blades provided with crank elements, front and rear lever frames mounted for rotary movement with the front and rear propellers and connected with the blades thereof, a central shaft connected with the rear propeller and having a longitudinal bore or opening, a central shifting rod mounted for reciprocation in the bore or opening of the longitudinal shaft and connected with the rear lever frame, an outer tubular shaft mounted on the inner longitudinal shaft and connected with thefront lever frame, sleeves rotating with the said inner and outer shafts and connected with the said rods and movable longitudinally, guides, bearings receiving the said shafts and composed of bearing boxes and tea-arse inner rotary sleeves interlocked with the bearing boxes for holding the rotary sleeves against longitudinal movement, said rotary sleeves being fixed to the inner and outer shafts, and means for adjusting the said ro s.

8. A device of the class described including front and rear propellers having pivotally mounted propeller blades provided with crank elements, front and rear lever frames mounted for rotary movement with the front and rear propellers and connected with the blades thereof, a central shaft connected with the rear propeller and having a longitudinal bore or opening, a central shiftlng rod mounted for reciprocation in the bore or opening of the longitudinal shaft and connected with the rear lever frame, an outer tubular shaft mounted on the inner longitudinal shaft and connected wlth the front lever frame, sleeves rotating with the said inner and outer shafts and connected with the said rods and movable longitudinally, guides, bearings receiving the said shafts and composed of bearing boxes and inner rotary sleeves interlocked with the bearing boxes for holding the rotary sleeves against longitudinal movement, said rotary sleeves being fixed to the inner and outer shafts, and the rear rotary sleeve being mounted on the outer shaft which is provided with guide openings to receive the side shifting rods, and means for adjusting the rods.

9. A device of the class described including front and rear propellers having pivot ally mounted propeller blades provided with crank elements, front and rear lever frames mounted for rotary movement with the front and rear propellers and connected with the blades thereof, a central shaft connected with the rear propeller and having a longitudinal bore or opening, a central shifting rod mounted for reciprocation, in the bore or opening of the longitudinal shaft and connected with the rear lever frame, an outer tubular shaft mounted on the inner longitudinal shaft and connected with the front lever frame, sleeves rotating with the said inner and outer shafts and connected with the said rods and movable longitudinally, guides, gears mounted onthe shafts, and means for adjusting the shifting rods.

In testimony whereof ll a ffix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

TONY FRANCISCO.

Witnesses:

CARL C. CHRISTENSEN, PAT A. THOMAS. 

